Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo should not keep his place in Portugal’s national team ahead of his country’s last-16 clash against Switzerland in the Qatar World Cup.
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That is according to a recent A Bola poll, which saw a massive 70% of readers calling for manager Fernando Santos to drop him for the game.
The Athletic had previously reported that Ronaldo still maintained a “god-like” status in his home country but now, it appears, things are turning.
His displays at the World Cup so far have been disappointing – Shockingly so to many Portugal watchers during the tournament. The reality is that Ronaldo is playing the same way he played for United in the run up to Qatar.
Needless offsides, the inability to get away from defenders, and big misses on the rare occasion he does fashion a chance for himself, have all been hallmarks of the 2022 Ronaldo.
Although he still takes a good penalty, and that accounts for his only goal of the competition so far.
His ability to affect games has now diminished to the point where a player by any other name would have been laughed out of the team for expecting his teammates to pick up the defensive responsibilities he chooses to eschew.
And with the Portugal skipper throwing another tantrum after his substitution against South Korea – a match in which he was poor – there can’t be many who believe that Ronaldo is worth the trouble he currently brings.
Indeed, with the huge number of talent in the Portuguese national team, there is a sense that they have made it into the last sixteen in spite of Ronaldo.
Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, Bruno Fernandes, and Silva could form an excitingly attacking quartet, capable of troubling defences all the way to the final.
It remains to be seen if Fernando Santos will start the former United forward in their next game at the World Cup.
